Now this is an interesting story as it relates to the prefab construction in the USA. Blu Homes just announced that the company sold and is currently manufacturing its first home personalized entirely online in 3-D by the purchaser. Cathy and Walter Pearlman fired up the Blu | 3-D Configurator, settled on the Element Series, personalized it, and then sent their custom design to Blu for purchase. Blu confirmed the selections, made one change to the bathroom tile, and then the sent the 3-D plans to the factory.

This is a “Granny Annex” in Kent, England, fabricated by in.it.studios in eight weeks. In.it.studios fashioned the backyard prefab with a well-insulated envelope, Canadian Western Red Cedar cladding, a “zero maintenance” living sedum roof, floor to ceiling windows, a sky light in the hallway, an Accoya deck, and other built-ins with PEFC- and FSC-certified woods.

I’ve pulled together projects, mostly homes, of all kinds — new, old, modern, traditional, etc — that we discussed in the last year. These projects either obtained or sought LEED Platinum certification from the USGBC, and they’re some of the greener homes you’ll find most anywhere. Click the links below for hours and hours of reading.

I’ve seen the tiny house thrive in 2011 like none other. People behind these structures — whether a tiny home, shed, backyard office, ADU, or off-season retreat — seem to have a little Thoreau inside. Nonetheless, please keep this in mind: only about 5% of the population would ever dream to live in a tiny house. Is this for you? Here’s a little round up of the built projects that we covered in 2011, in no particular order. Click the text below for more and use your tabs for hours of reading.

SUNY’s Centennial Hall, a student dorm completed this summer, has earned LEED Gold certification, according to gbNYC, making it one of the largest modular construction projects in the state of New York. It’s not the only modular student building — The Modules is but another modular project on my mind — though The Centennial showcases what’s good about off-site construction with a total of about 184 wood modules.

A while back, I mentioned The Crib, an “enviresponsible shelter” by Broadhurst Architects that can be used as a weekend cabin, backyard office, exercise studio, or guest house — you name it. Well it’s time for a short update from our last article, if you haven’t already noticed, that a 250 square-foot Crib was built on the grounds of the Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland. It’s being used as a visual arts studio, a lab, and a gallery and is open to visitors during certain events and various other times.